The Cabin Group

Am I the only one who thinks that episode 1 didn't do any of the characters justice? Everybody thought the cabin group were just a bunch of idiots, cowards, douchebags, or just all three of them. People are still holding grudges against the characters and can't wait to go with Kenny. Telltale definitely dropped the ball on character development in episode 1. They really need to make up for that in future episodes. The cabin group (or what's left of it) need their shot of redemption. Here's what Telltale could do to improve our opinion on the cabin group and make us actually care about them.

1. The cabin group needs to be flat out honest with Clem about their past with Carver. No ambiguous answers or beating around the bush. They need to be truthful and forthright with Clem.

2. We need A LOT more character development. We want to know more about the cabin group before the apocalypse. The action in the episodes is cool and all, but I would like to sit down with a character and have a nice conversation with them. Get to know them better. Cause us to forget that they're fictional characters and compel us to see them as real people. Hear that Telltale? MORE HUB AREAS!

3. Make the characters more useful. There has been a lot of complaints about Clementine's workload. People are saying "Clementine has to do everything herself. The cabin group is so useless. Especially Carlos!" I'm not saying that you sideline Clementine since she's the protagonist, but you should at least attempt to make the cabin group more useful. We should be thanking them not calling them useless. That's another reason people want to join Kenny's group.

4. Let us spend an extended amount of time with the cabin group. There's quite a bit of people saying "I don't care if [insert cabin member's name] dies because we've only known them a week." I know Telltale should use their timeskips wisely, but I honestly believe that this is one of the best ways to use it. Also only use the timeskip when it's necessary and goes along with the story. For example, you could use several small timeskips during the expedition to Wellington. Have us interact with the group after each small timeskip like catch up with them to see the progress you've made to Wellington, explore different areas with them, and chat with them to discover what happened of interest and/or of importance during each timeskip so the player doesn't feel left out and are caught up to the current events.

Telltale only needs to follow these 4 steps and they're golden. I have more suggestions, but I believe the thread is lengthy enough as it is. What do you think? Suggestions and additions are welcomed.

These are some great ideas. Seriously though, they really did drop the ball on episode 1. The only likable characters after episode 1 was Luke and Pete. I could tell that Telltale did some 180's on some of the characters in episode 2, but it's still not enough.

I mean the OP does make a point. The first episode is supposed to be about getting to know the characters and slowly start to attach yourself to them. Did you care about Nick in episode 1? I remember when the forums were flooded about how season 1's group was so much better than season 2's or how the cabin group sucks or how could this group lock a little girl in the shed.

Most of them seemed unlikable intentionally in episode 1. While season 1's group most of them were likable. At the end of episode 1 of season 1 you were happy to be in that group while episode 1 of season 2... not so much.

I feel like this has more to do with the storyline, and needs to be done as intended.

Yes, need more hubs for many reasons.

Eh, I guess. Luke has been useful, and Carlos. Nick... TRIED to help. Rebecca is pregnant, so can't. Sarah isn't hardened like Clem, so can't. Alvin is a sneaky coward and I don't think we SHOULD like him.

No thanks to timeskips unless very necessary, like the initial 16 month one.

Overall I feel like most of the group became more likable in Ep2 already, and I'm not particularly worried.

Well, of course small timeskips of the kind used in every episode so far will be needed, but I would like an episode that consists mostly of travelling, yeah. I don't think we're going to walk to Wellington anyway. Don't really think we're going to reach it at all to be honest.

I agree with all of OP's points, as well as what FlamingOblivion said. After episode 1, I didn't care much for the characters at all. As of episode 2, I do like them more, but I still don't feel very attached to them. Honestly out of all the new characters in Season 2, the one that I've felt the most for has been Pete. What he did for Clementine was absolutely touching, and it just proves Strange_Evil's point that the cabin characters need to be more useful. Very well said, OP.

Thank you, I appreciate it. Episode 2 was heading in the right direction, but they need to push the envelop for episode 3 and episode 4. If episode 5 is dedicated for character's deaths (which I hope not) then I want to be crying, not thinking to myself "Oh no. I kind of liked him."

"The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place... and I don´t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently, if you let it. You, me or nobody, is gonna hit as hard as life. But ain't about how hard you hit... It's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward... how much you can take, and keep moving forward. That´s how winning is done."- Rocky Balboa

Job described ep. 3 as things getting worse than in ep. 2. With that in mind, ep 4 could just be about dealing with the aftermath and regrouping (not letting it keep Clem/the group down).

I think the Telltale did a great job in episode 1 because I think the theme for episode 1 was trust. I mean from (my) Clems point of view she just lost Lee, Ben, Kenny, Omid and now Christa is either dead, captured or wondering around god knows where, she has just lost everyone and after getting bit by a dog she comes across our cabin group and what do they do? Luke drops her on the floor, Nick almost blows her face off, Rebecca is acting like a cold hearted bitch, Carlos doesn't trust you at all and won't heal your arm until the morning, knowing full well that even if it wasn't a walker bite leaving you until the morning isn't going to be good for Clem, so from Clems point of view she lost everyone she loved and has come across this new group who aren't treating her like her old group. Does she trust them?

I can't really say much for the Cabin group because we still don't know there story, however I will say this, they were scared of carver and going by what I saw in episode 2 I would say the Carver is type of person to get a little girl to infiltrate the cabin group to get them back, not only that but this girl appears the be bit and (even though she had no choice) she stole from them! Who is this girl and can they trust her?

I like the interaction between Clem and the cabin group in episode 1, I liked thinking "wow I REALLY don't trust these people!" I even told Sarah we couldn't be friends because I didn't trust them that much. Now I'm not the type of person to hold a grudge so in episode 2 I forgave them little by little, Rebecca wasn't such a bitch after all, Carlos was just looking out for his daughter, Nick has just lost so much already. This far into the apocalypse its all about trust and I think Telltale pulled it off really well. Even in episode 2, how many people like myself though "Oh cool it's Bonnie" (DAMMIT BONNIE!!!!)

It's funny you should mention people going off with Kenny because I read a lot of posts on this forum (I have been around awhile) and I agree I have seen people go "I'm with Kenny now", I have even seen some youtubers do the same. I uploaded my own Let's Play and my thought process was different, I thought "Man it's sooooo good to see Kenny again....but....it's seems me being here is causing bad memory's for him, maybe I should go? But should I really leave him after he seems so happy to see me? Do I really want to go?" I like the cabin group and I like Kenny (Damm that table choice!).

Well it seems I have gone on long enough....wow I have never wrote so much on a forum before.

SHORT VERSION: I think while I agree the characters in episode 1 were " idiots, cowards, douchebags" I think the idea behind it was "Do we trust Clem and will she trust us". In episode 2 this theme is explored more as the cabin group begin to open up more to Clem and you find out they aren't " idiots, cowards, douchebags". Trust is rare now, if it wasn't for Clem being around when Lukes group and Kennys group were pointing guns at each other what would of happened? Kenny trusted Clem and so the situation was defused.

EDIT: After all that I didn't talk about your points! Sorry.

1: Great idea! I think that we will find out about there past in episode 3, I wonder if Carvers story and the cabin groups story will be different?

2: I'm not too interested in what the cabin group did before the apocalypse it been a long time since then, however a passing word or so would be nice, like finding out the Kenny was a commercial fisherman, it took two seconds to say and we found out something new about him. YES! More hubs please!

3: Yes, I think more scenes like Clem and Luke on the bridge would be nice, it's to show that Clem is dependable but so are the group, they trust her with their life's and work together. That being said the walker attack on the lodge was also good for showing this.

4: I think this problem could be solved by more hubs like you said in point 2, if we had more hubs, more interaction with the group then the time skips shouldn't be a bother.

Even though it may have been good for story telling which could be subjective. It came with the price of character development. A huge part of the game is the characters and if most of them are unlikable or if you just don't care for them then Telltale did something wrong. They could have incorporated the "mistrust" without sacrificing most of the characters to achieve it. Sure we may not think they're such bad guys, but still would people rather stay with them than with Kenny who seemed like he could be trusted from season 1 and was friends with Lee (as long as you agreed with him)?

Telltale obviously softened the characters a little (Rebecca especially), but yeah...season 2 got off to a rocky start with too much nastiness crammed into one episode. After playing through HOUSE DIVIDED again, ALL THAT REMAINS comes off like the ravings of an emo teenager in comparison.

It's okay. Everybody have differentiating opinions. I just go by what the majority say. People would rather go with Kenny than the cabin group. Obviously there will be some people that rather go with the cabin group than Kenny, but they're in the minority which is not good. Hopefully in future episodes we'll grow to admire them.